Delivering wire or like flexible element from a coil



July 7, 1959 P. A. VAN DE BILT 2,893,657

} DELIVERING WIRE OR LIKE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT FROM A com Filed Nov. 27,1956- r 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1/ 10 5 g /9 pr 1 l VfNi'oR all 4.1. A M

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y 7, 1959v P. A. VAN DE BILT 2,893,657

DELIVERING WIRE 0R LIKE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT FROM A COIL Filed Nov. 27, 1956r 2 ee heet 2 s 5 I fi 'f 2'4 -4 6 .1 J13 3E 2 123% a; Z 9 1a 17 Z \P I;30 I a 5 z 45 47 M G/pg United States l atent DELIVERING on LIKEFLEXIBLE ELEMENT. FROM A com Pieter A.- van de Bilt, Maartensdijk,Netherlands, assignor by-mesne assignments, to Package Sealing C0.(Export) .Limitemlaling, LondomtEngland, a British company ApplicationNovember 27, 1956, Serial No. 624,534

Claims priority, application Netherlands December 8, H55

9 Claims. .(Cl; 242-128) This invention is concerned with improvedmechanism for delivering a wire or like flexible element (hereinafterreferred to as wire) from a coil thereof to an associated machine suchas an automatic package banding machine.

Inthis connection thefollowing main problems arise:

. Firstly, the intake, of wire by machines'of this kind at each cycle oftheir operation may be very rapid and .-thus impose a sudden tug on thewire which is liable" not influence of such a tug; secondly, =suchintakemay be variable both in length and rate and subject in some cases tofeed back fromthe machineagaimleading to possible slackening of the coilwinding; and thirdly, in

.many such machines, the intake, as for example by means mounted torotate always unidirectionally around the. package once during eachoperational cycle, imposes a twist on the wire extending back to thecoil, which twist is-cumulative and therefore essential to offset tomake continuous operation possible, especially when using wire which isnon-circular in section.

. The present invention has as a main object asimple form of mechanismby means of which the demands of the associated machine can always befully andpromptly satisfied in respect of both length and rate ofdelivery from the coil, without undue tension or slackening of the wireat any stage and whereby a neutralizing twist can also be put into thewire corresponding and opposite to that imposed by the machine.

Mechanism in accordance with the invention essentially comprises ashuttle which is driven positively around the coil to pick up apredetermined length of wire therefrom and spring means for causing thecoil to rotate as required to keep the wire taut but without unduetension therein if the demand of the machine differs from that length.

If the drive is predetermined to effect for example one circuit of theshuttle around the coil'for each operational cycle ofan associatedmachine whose intake imposes one full twist in the wire during saidcycle, the direction in which the shuttle is moved in effecting deliveryof wire from the coil causes exact neutralization of said twist, thisbeing entirely dependent on the positive movement of the shuttle by "thedrive and regardless of any rotation of the coil. Such a drive canconveniently be taken from the machine itself to ensure operationaltiming of such shuttle movement so that its'rate and extent of pick-upfrom the coil correspond to the intake of the machine,

subject to such variation as can be accommodated by rotation of the coilby said spring means according to the tensional condition of the wirebetween the .coil and the 1 machine.

Spring means as prescribed. may in. one form be such as to permitmovement of the shuttle relatively to the l we 'drive such that iftheintake of the machine at any time exceeds what the shuttle picks upunder the influence of said drive, the shuttle is drawn by consequentincreased tension in the wire forwardly of the drive to delivermore wirethan usual, with loading of said spring means such as to cause reverserotation of the coil in the opposite direction to the shuttle movementand return ofthe shuttle to its normal position relatively to thedrive,. the

. spring means thus serving as a resilient buffer in respect suchrotation from the drive through a clutch which is adapted, when the coilis subject to restraint by the'wire passing tautly therefrom to theshuttle and thence to the machine, to slip during the shuttle movementexcept as required to maintain such loading, so that, in absence of suchrestraint, said spring means when thus loaded, 'becames effective torotate the coil independently of said drive and shuttle movement asrequired to effect such rewinding.

In a mechanism combining these characteristics, the two forms of springmeans act-in opposition and the reverse rotation of the coil involvesslipping of the clutch. Moreover, if the first such spring means, i.e.,that which permits movement of the shuttle forwardly of the drive,

is stronger than the second such means, i.e.,' that which causesreWindin-g of the coil, the loading of, the latter will be maintainedready to rotate the coil forwardly again, after any such reverserotation, to the extent which may be required to rewind loose wireresultingv from any over-run of said reverse rotation.

The drive to the shuttle may be conveniently through a shaft arrangedaxially'of the coil and a radial arm on said shaft, on which arm theshuttle is mounted-so that it passes around the coil periphery when theshaft is rotated, the coil being however free on said shaft. Springmeans of the first form may be provided in the mounting of said am onthe shaft whilst spring means of the second form may be arranged betweenthis. shaft and a rotatable holder of the coil and be adapted to actthrough the clutch.

Each of said spring means may be in the form of a resilient spiralacting in the appropriate rotational sense.

the second spring means, the effect of the spiral may similarly besubject to a stop such that, after the spiral has become sufficientlyloaded, slipping of the clutch is caused when the shaft is rotated andthe coil is held against rotation or when the coil is rotated reversely.

The various features of the invention will next .be further described indetail as embodied in the mechanism shown by way of example in theaccompanying drawings, whereof:

Figure 1 is a general side view of this mechanism;

Figure 2 is a front view thereof;

Figure 3 is an axial section. corresponding to Figure 1; and

Figures 4A and 4B are diagrammatic sections along the lines 4A4A and4B4B respectively of Figure 3, to show how the two spiral springs arearranged and operate. I

-In the mechanism thus illustrated, a main driving shaft 1 carries onits forward end a boss 2 which is secured to the shaft by means of a pin3 releasably held by a ball catch 4, so that on withdrawal of this pinthe boss can be readily slid off the shaft. On this boss is rotatablymounted a head 5 on bearings 6 and 7,.secured by washer 8 and bolt 9.Thishead is provided with a guide roller chine and with a radial arm 11which carries at its outer end the shuttle comprising a pick-up roller12 in associa tion with a guide plate 13, 14.

Within a recess 15 of head 5 is arranged a spiral spring S1 actingbetween the boss 2, to which it is secured by pin 16 and the head 5 towhich it is secured by pin 17, as best seen in Figure 4A, which showshow this spring normally maintains a stop 2a on the boss in contact witha stop 5a on the head in the direction of the full arrow in which shaft1 and with it arm 11 are rotated, but permitting the arm to advanceforwardly of the shaft under increased tension by the wire acting on the.shuttle, as indicated by the broken arrow, whereby the spring isadditionally loaded by contraction of its spiral. The recess 15 isenclosed to form a chamber for this spring, by the flange 18 on boss 2.

A coil holder comprising a back frame 19, spacing bolts 20, wing nuts 21thereon and a cover frame 22 secured to these bolts by those nuts, isrotatably mounted on shaft 1 behind boss 2, on bearings 23 and 24. Frame19 is provided with a rearwardly projecting collar 26 to form a recess27 similar to the recess 15 and within which is similarly arrangedanother spiral spring S2, acting in this case between a boss 28, whichis mounted freely on shaft 1, and this collar, being secured to the bossby pin 29 and to the collar by pin 30, as best seen in Figure 4B, whichshows how this spring is kept normally loaded to maintain a stop 28a onthe boss in contact with a stop 26a on the collar by contraction of itsspiral, which accordingly needs to be wound oppositely to spring S1.

Boss 28 is rotatably clutched to shaft '1 through a ring 31 fixed to thelatter by a pin 32 and spring-loaded friction blocks 33 mounted in theboss to engage with this ring.

Shaft 1 may be rotated as required through suitable gearing within thepedestal 34 of the mechanism from a shaft 35 in the base 36, which shaftcan be coupled to an associated machine in any convenient manner.

The mechanism as thus described and shown is adapted to drive theshuttle roller 12 around the coil in the direction of the arrow inFigure 2 once during each operational cycle of an associated machine,and in doing so to pick up a convolution of wire from the coil equal inlength to an average demand by the machine during that cycle. If theamount thus picked up and delivered exactly equals that demand, the coilwill be held stationary by the consequent normal tautness of the wire W,providing said pick-up takes place at substantially the same rate as theintake by the machine. In these circumstances spring S1 will remainunafiected and after spring S2 has become loaded by the rotation ofshaft 1 through clutch 31, 33 until stop 28a abuts against stop 26a, theclutch will thereupon slip during the further rotation of the shaft.

Should the demand by the machine, however, exceed this average, theconsequent increase in the tension of the wire will cause the shuttleand arm to be drawn forwardly of the shaft, with corresponding increasein the loading of spring S1, whereupon the coil and its holder will berotated by the pull of wire W under the influence of this loading untilthe latteris relieved by the return of stop 5a to its normal abutmentagainst stop 2a. In order to permit of this reverse rotation of thecoil, it is necessary for spring S1 to be sufficiently strong to rotateboss 28 also reversely, i.e., in the direction of the broken arrow inFigure 43, through the engagement of stop 26a against stop 28a inopposition to spring S2 and with consequent slipping of the clutch 31,33. This abutment between these stops ensures that the elfectivestrength of spring S2 is limited so as always to remain less than thatof spring S1 as thus required.

If, on the other hand, the demand by the machine falls below the averageor the coil over-runs in reverse under the influence of spring S1, withconsequent slackening in either case of wire W, the coil becomes freefor rotation by spring S2 in the same direction as shaft 1 until thisslack has been taken up and stop 26:: again becomes held in acorresponding fresh angular position, in which stop 28a reengages itunder the influence of the shaft rotation through clutch 31, 33 and withconsequent reloading of spring S2.

As the springs are adapted to become effective immediately under theinfluence of any changes of tension in the wire W from normal, itfollows that the rotation of the coil thereby as described can takeplace at least in part whilst the driving of the shuttle around it isstill in progress. In any case the final angular position of the shuttlerelatively to the shaft is unaffected, so that the movement of theshuttle ultimately corresponds exactly with the rotation of the shaftunder all conditions, departures from normal demand being accommodatedquite independently by said coil rotation both promptly and smoothly.

The mechanism permits of ready reloading with wire by simply withdrawingpin 3 and removing the whole assembly comprising boss 2, head 5, arm 11and the shuttle forwardly from the end of shaft 1 and then unscrewingwing nuts 21 and removing the cover frame 22 of the holder and insertinga fresh coil around the spacing bolts 20.

I claim:

1. Mechanism for delivering wire from a coil to an associated machinecomprising a shaft rotated intermittently corresponding to the demand ofsaid machine for Wire, a drum for the wire freely mounted on said shaft,a shuttle arm mounted on said shaft and driven positively thereby aroundsaid drum to pick up a predetermined length of wire therefrom, firstspring means operatively connecting said shuttle arm to said shaft andarranged to permit said arm to be advanced in relation to said shaft tostrip additional wire from said drum and stress said spring means whensaid shuttle delivers a length of Wire less than the demand of saidmachine, a clutch member frictionally connected to said shaft andadapted to slip on said shaft when a predetermined force opposesrotation of said clutch member with said shaft, second spring meansoperatively connecting said clutch member and said drum and adapted tobe loaded to a predetermined degree by rotation of said shaft, saidclutch member thereafter slipping on said shaft, said second springmeans being arranged to rotate said drum in a wire winding directionwhen said shuttle delivers a length of wire greater than the demand ofsaid machine.

2. Mechanism for delivering wire at a predetermined normal tension froma coil to an associated machine com prising a shaft rotatedintermittently corresponding to the demand of said machine for wire, adrum for said coil freely mounted on said shaft and tended normally tobe rotated in a wire unwinding direction by the tension of said wire asit is delivered to said machine, a slip type clutch frictionally carriedon said shaft for engagement with said drum and adapted to be balancedin opposition against the tendency of said drum to rotate in a wireunwinding direction when said wire is delivered at normal tension butadapted to slip on said shaft in a direction opposite to shaft rotationwhen the tension exceeds said normal, a shuttle arm freely mounted onsaid shaft, a one way driving connection between said shaft and said armfor positively driving said arm with said shaft to strip wire from saidcoil in a wire unwinding direction, said driving connection permittingsaid arm to be advanced in relation to said shaft, spring meansinterconnecting said shaft and said arm and arranged to oppose movementof said arm in advance of said shaft, said spring having a strengthrelated to the strength of said clutch such that when the tension ofsaid wire exceeds its predetermined normal, said is advanced to loadsaid spring until the tension of said wire overcomes the opposition ofsaid clutch whereby said drum and clutch are rotated in a wire unwindingdirection an angular amount equal to the angular advance of said arm.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 wherein said clutch is of the one-wayvariety permitting free rotation of said drum in a wire windingdirection, and second spring means connecting said clutch and said drumand arranged to be loaded by engagement of said drum with said clutchbut in opposition to said engagement whereby a wire winding force isexerted on said drum at all times when said drum and clutch are engaged,said spring means moving said drum in a wire winding direction wheneverthe tension on said wire falls substantially below its predeterminednormal tension.

4. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein the strength of said first springmeans is substantially greater than the strength of said second springmeans.

5. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein said first and second spring meansare of the spiral variety arranged in opposition to each other.

6. Mechanism for delivering wire from a coil to an associated machinecomprising a shaft rotated inter-' mittently corresponding to the demandof said machine for wire, a drum for the Wire freely mounted on saidshaft, a shuttle arm mounted on said shaft and driven positively therebyaround said drum to pick up a predetermined length of wire therefrom,and spring means operatively connecting said drum and said arm to saidshaft and adapted to rotate said drum in a direction opposite to therotation of said arm when said shuttle delivers a length of Wire lessthan the demand of said machine.

7. Mechanism for delivering wire from a coil to an associated machinecomprising a shaft rotated intermittently corresponding to the demand ofsaid machine for wire, a drum for the wire freely mounted on said shaft,a shuttle arm mounted on said shaft and driven positively thereby aroundsaid drum to pick up a pre- 6 determined length of wire therefrom, andspring means operatively connecting said drum and said arm to said shaftand adapted to rotate said drum in the same direction as said arm whensaid shuttle delivers a length of wire greater than the demand of saidmachine.

8. Mechanism for delivering wire from a coil to an associated machinecomprising a shaft rotated intermittently corresponding to the demand ofsaid machine for wire, a drum for the wire rotatable on said shaft, ashuttle on an arm mounted on said shaft and driven positively therebyaround said drum to pick up a predetermined length of wire therefrom,and spring means operatively connecting said arm to said shaft andadapted to rotate said drum in a direction opposite to the rotation ofsaid arm through the tension in the 'Wire between said shuttle and saiddrum when said shuttle delivers a length of wire less than the demand ofsaid machine.

9. Mechanism for delivering wire from a coil to an associated machinecomprising a shaft rotated intermittently cor-responding to the demandof said machine for wire, a drum for the wire rotatable on said shaft, ashuttle on an arm mounted on said shaft and driven positively therebyaround said drum to pick up a predetermined length of wire therefrom,spring means operatively connecting said drum to said shaft and clutchmeans for enabling said spring means to be loaded by the rotation ofsaid shaft against the tension in the wire between said shuttle and saiddrum, so that said spring is thereby adapted to rotate said drum in thesame direction as said arm when said shuttle delivers a length of wiregreater than the demand of said machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,348,321 Rogers Aug. 3, 1920 1,956,631 Snyder May 1, 1934 2,157,847Chapman May 9, 1939 2,257,837 Burge et al. Oct. 7, 1941 2,514,264 SoperJuly 4, 1950 2,625,344 Flansburgh Jan. 13, 1953

